(Astoria, Oregon) – The main link between the Oregon coast and Washington coast is closed Sunday night .Emergency work and high winds have closed the Astoria-Megler Bridge until further notice, according to ODOT.

Late Sunday night, high winds damaged construction equipment and some areas of the bridge undergoing renovation – including some scaffolding. Winds have been high enough to knock the heavy equipment around. ODOT has shut down the bridge and has no estimate on when it may reopen.

The bridge work is held up until the winds die down, and it cannot be reopened until that work is finished.

ODOT says travelers must find an alternate route to and from the Washington and Oregon coast area. The nearest route is about 30 minutes away along Highway 30 at the ferry between Westport, Oregon, to Cathlamet, Washington. For heavy vehicles and semi trucks, the nearest route all the way to the Longview/Kelso area just east of I-5.

As of 11 p.m. Sunday, there were some reports of inclement weather affecting the ferry service as well. The ferry operates from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. so that issue will likely be eased in the morning. However, heavy winds are expected for the Oregon coast on Monday so be sure to check TripCheck.com.

This means the Washington coast cannot be accessed from north Oregon coast towns like Cannon Beach or Seaside. If you are heading to or from Washington from Cannon Beach or other parts of the north coast, it is best advised to go over Highway 26 and I-5.